VICTORIA (July 15, 2024) – BC United is calling out the NDP’s latest punitive tax as David Eby’s new bag tax takes effect today, requiring businesses to punish consumers in the middle of an affordability crisis by charging a mandatory $2.00 for reusable shopping bags and $0.25 for paper shopping bags, a move that will hit hardworking families and drive up the cost of living.

“At a time when a majority of British Columbians are struggling to make ends meet, punishing consumers with an unfair bag tax that does nothing to address real environmental concerns is yet another wildly out-of-touch NDP policy making life more unaffordable for hardworking folks,” said Peter Milobar, BC United Shadow Minister for Finance. “British Columbians are looking for a government that will tackle both the affordability crisis and climate change. This ridiculous bag tax shows David Eby and the NDP are serious about neither.”

The Retail Council estimates this new bag tax can add up to an extra $20 to $40 a week for B.C. families, all while a majority of British Columbians are $200 or less away from being able to afford their monthly bills. BC United leader Kevin Falcon has pledged to aggressively tackle the affordability crisis and scrap the NDP’s ‘CostBC’ scheme to replace it with real, effective environmental policies that focus on practical solutions and real environmental results.